Exit Wounds, Take Two
by Bluetech
Summary: Every entity, from the tiniest bacteria to the most massive star, has  beginning and an end. One day, every creature will reach that point. All they can do is prepare for what lies beyond, and let go. Exit wounds will be left behind, but time heals all...
1. Unwell

**A/N: I am re-uploading this story partly due to personal choice, and partly due to the huge success of holospartoi258-zyphyr01's story Paradise.**

** Even though he informed me it was "marvelous" I felt displeased with my first attempt. I made some drastic changes to the first two chapters, and even added a third to properly cap off the story.**

**Perhaps, this time around, I can exceed "marvelous," especially for him!**

**I'll shut up now and let you guys get to the tear-jerking stuff.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 1:Unwell<strong>

The sun peeked its face over the eastern horizon, painting the ocean with tangerine and gold rays. The light from that very orb suffused across the city, signaling the start of a new day, both for the humans and the lesser creatures.

The two macaws dozing in a lone cannonball tree were no exception. For them, and them alone, this sunrise was unlike the thousands of others they had seen.

Taking nearly a full minute to rouse themselves, they slowly opened their eyes, each gazing at the other.

"Good...morning, Jewel."

"Not one of the best we've ever had, honey..."

The pure rays of light that were unblocked by the entrance to the hollow landed upon them, and their true appearance justified her response.

Their tails were heavily frayed, some of the individual feathers were drastically shorter than their neighbors. Their bodies did not fare much better, marred by unsightly spots of bare skin.

Jewel's head feathers, once short and slightly curled, now drooped against her nape, tinged an unhealthy shade of blue-gray. Blu's neck feathers were no longer puffy and stout; they were twisted together in short spikes that lay flat against him.

The surfaces of their beaks were lackluster, their edges bearing tiny chips and cracks. Most shocking of all were their faces: their once vibrant irises now watered down, their eyelids drooping noticeably.

"I feel sickly, Blu. Not only that, I _look _sickly_._"

"I'm not much different, Jewel. The sands of time have not been fair to us, have they?"

Enfolding Blu with her wings, she replied, "No."

"How many years have we been in existence, Jewel? My brain is so muddled I can't even remember."

"Uh, let me see. Ten...fifteen..."

Jewel's voice trailed off as she transitioned from oral counting to mental counting.

Peering deep into his bloodshot eyes, she replied, "Forty-five."

"It's been that long?"

"Yeah. It seems to be showing."

"Can't argue with you there. How about we go grab a bite to eat? We may not be as hungry as we used to, but we need our nutrition."

"I guess. After you..."

The two macaws hobbled to the hole in the trunk and lifted off. Their flight was off-balance, and despite having found a succulent star-fruit tree just past the border of the clearing, they had exhausted themselves. After pausing amidst the yellow clusters of fruit to catch their breath, they plucked a few and headed back home.

Drained of their energy once again, they all but crashed into the hollow, with Blu ending up sprawled awkwardly on top of his mate. After getting back to their feet, they hesitantly consumed the starfruit, managing to only eat one whole fruit apiece.

Their stomachs rejected any more food they tried to consume, and so they plunked themselves against the wall of the hollow, breathing deeply.

"This past year has been a downward spiral for us, Jewel."

She sighed and responded sadly, "I know. First, our feathers started discoloring and falling out. Then, we grew tired much faster than we used to. Now, it feels like we've been afflicted with some sort of disease."

"Well, now we know what aging _looks_ and _feels_ like. Forty-five years of cellular damage can do that to a macaw... or macaws. Regardless, you're still my lovely Jewel."

She looked upon him sternly, her degraded eyes boring into him.

"You know, you don't have to lie about my appearance. I'm definitely _not_ the bird you first met."

"True, but you're my mate. I can't dishonor you like that. I would hope you would do the same."

"The truth hurts sometimes, Blu. I can handle it. I'm pretty sure you can too."

Blu sighed and turned to his mate, her eyes just as red as his own.

"You're right. It didn't take me forty-five years to realize _that_. Still, I've spent thirty of those years with you, and I'll never forget them. Ever."

Touched by his confession, her heart gave a small jump.

"How did I get stuck with a sweetheart like you? Oh yeah, it started with a _kiss_."

Getting the hint, he leaned in close, their substandard beaks contacting for a few endearing seconds.

After they parted to draw in oxygen, Jewel remarked, "I've never stopped loving you. And I never will. Even though our time on Earth is drawing to a close, that will not change."

"How could I say any different..."

The time-worn macaws scooted closer together and drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>That past month, they had spent more and more of each day napping, being as they lacked the energy to do much else. Escapades around the city were out of the question, and even their visits to Linda and Tulio had become rare.<p>

The two humans in question were now in their early fifties, and they had three children to show for it. During their prior – yet infrequent – visits earlier that year, Tulio had noticed the failing health of the macaws, and he did all he could to prepare his family for the dreadful day that would inevitably arrive.

It was either their loyal hands, or the love they poured on them throughout the years, that had allowed Blu and Jewel to push the boundaries of macaw lifespan.

Tulio's family had come to accept that it was a fusion of both, and that they had enjoyed every single moment of their beloved macaws' lives.

Regardless of whether Blu and Jewel were with them in the flesh, or in spirit, they had secured a place in each of the humans' souls.

When Blu and Jewel left them for a better place, they would indeed mourn, but the nine offspring they produced would give them to strength to push forward.

The fruits of Blu and Jewel's efforts would live on for many decades to come, flesh-and-blood reminders of the parents that were loved so much...

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><p>The day slipped by outside the cannonball tree, and in the late evening hours, a sliver of wind from the breeze that was scraping the jungle found its way into the nest. The two macaws slowly stirred in response, getting to their feet and trudging over to the exit.<p>

"Such a... pleasant evening. I wonder how our children are doing?"

Blu sank down onto his stomach in a relaxed position, his question hanging in the air.

"I bet they are doing... just fine. Even though we haven't been able to check on them in awhile, they do have each other."

"Yeah. Hey, maybe we can visit them... tomorrow."

"I suppose so. We need to tell them that we don't have much time. They're going to..."

Before she concluded her sentence, she slumped to the floor, her eyes half closed and her wings spread out.

"Jewel? Are you okay? Jewel!"

After Blu's feeble shouts rang out, he nudged his wife with his head, causing her body to rock back and forth.

After a frightening pause, her head lifted from the floor, her eyes blinking rapidly in confusion.

"I thought you had... left me for good, Jewel. Try to hold on just one more day..." he said, pure fear evident in his tone.

Rising to her feet, she shook her head weakly and said, "I couldn't help it. I just blacked out."

Blu scooted closer to her and pulled her up against his chest with his wing.

"Are you sure you're okay? Can you keep yourself alive?"

She stared deep into his aged ocular organs and said with conviction, "I'm fine. For you, I'll try to... make it just a little longer. I... am not ready to leave this life just yet."

She pressed her body lovingly against him, trying to soak up his body heat and his willpower. Blu turned his gaze towards the endless night, velvety and soothing, all the while stroking her back tenderly.

"Just look at the stars. So tranquil, so innocent. We'll be up there with them in a few more days, honey. We'll be... up in Heaven."

She turned her head to follow his gaze, catching sight of the deep blackness over the city.

"I almost don't want to believe it, Blu. Our nine children... oh, how they will miss us! I wish I could stay with them forever..."

"Even though we may wish to live forever, all good things must come to an end. When the time comes, we just... have to let go. It's the way things work in this universe..." he said, defeated.

She locked him in her dreary gaze and asked, "Are you scared Blu? Are you scared to die?"

He paused to collect himself, knowing he couldn't deny his inner feelings.

"Well, yeah. It's just... I..."

He affected a distraught gaze, causing Jewel to tilt her head expectantly.

"You what, handsome?"

"I'm actually more afraid of losing _you._ I hope we can reunite in Heaven. If your spirit isn't alongside mine, it just won't be the same. It just wont be perfect..."

His head fell as the thought of being separated from his love crushed his heart. A diminished tear rolled from his left eye, and Jewel's remedy was to raise Blu's head with her wing.

"I'm sure we'll be together, Blu. Not even death can sever the bond we share."

He perked himself up somewhat, bringing his head level with hers.

"You're right. God will watch over us. He will make sure that we find each other. It's how He reciprocates His love to all."

Jewel smiled faintly before staring back out at the obsidian sky. Blu did the same, his broken-down mind burdened by the ultimatum that was fast approaching.

He could feel a slight tugging coming from above, as if an illusory hand was trying to extract his soul from his body. He knew that the Lord was calling, but he had to say goodbye to his children first.

After that, he would gladly leap from his earthly existence to a divine one.

In the wake of a few minutes of silence, he heard Jewel whisper, "Do you feel something pulling at you? Pulling not at your body, but your soul?"

"Yes. Do you?"

"Yeah. It's God trying to tell us that we need to join him, isn't it?"

"Correct, Jewel. But before we do, we have to make peace with our children. That is our last earthly task. They will miss us, no doubt, but they have their own lives to live. Eventually, they'll end up just like us, taken to a better place, free from the fetters of this world."

Blu gave a long yawn after speaking, releasing his hold on Jewel before making his way back to the nest of twigs and leaves. Jewel watched him walk across the hollow and settle down.

"Are you going to sleep?"

"Shouldn't be too hard. See you in the morning, God willing...

"Right back at you, handsome. Sweet dreams."

"Thank you, Jewel. Thank..."

Blu had dozed off moments later, leaving her compelled to do the same. After flashing one last glance at the sky, she waddled in the direction of her nest. A small knot in the floor caught her foot, throwing her roughly onto the grainy surface.

A few of her frail feathers were torn loose, drifting along in the breeze and dancing right out of the hollow.

"Ow! Stupid... bump. I love getting kicked when I'm down."

After picking herself up, she noticed one feather had been trapped beneath her chest. Clutching it softly with her right foot, she dropped it beside her husband and climbed into the nest.

"This feather is a perfect keepsake for our children. Even though my voice will be silent, my heart no longer beating, they will know that I will always be by their side."

Burying the feather carefully beneath her body, she quickly closed her eyes and entered the dream realm.

Jewel dreamed of what she would encounter as she passed from this life to the next, and although the journey was a mystery, what lay at its end was well worth the sorrow. Death was the final passage one took in life, but as long as she could share that passage with her lovebird, she would be content.

Blu, however, meditated over what he would say to his offspring in the moments before his passing. Perhaps he should give them a token of remembrance. He opted to pluck out one of his feathers before he passed on, knowing that it would assure those nine bundles of joy that he would never truly leave them.

Their mental stirrings were mostly jovial, but a profound dread had seeped into both of their minds.

There was the possibility that either one of them could wake up and find that the other had perished in the throes of sleep, an occurrence that would be just as suffocating as death itself.

Both Blu and Jewel prayed for their bodies to struggle on until they could inform their children and prepare them for the trauma of their parents' passing. They knew that as long as they could accomplish that task, they could release the hold they maintained on life, leaving their broken bodies behind, once and for all.


	2. Fix You

**Chapter 2:Fix You**

Once again, the oddly peaceful sunrise brought its light upon the world. The tattered forms of Blu and Jewel quivered in response, slowly opening their eyes.

After giving a fortuitous yawn, Jewel said, "Good morning, Blu."

"Huh? What? Oh. Good morning."

After stepping from the nest, he flared his wings like a phoenix rising from the ashes. Shortly after his refreshing maneuver, he felt a sharp pain in his left wing joint, and although he tried to re-fold it, the throbbing continued.

"Ouch! Oh man, I think I pulled a muscle. Now how will I be able to fly to our children?" he said, exasperated and worried.

Jewel climbed from the nest and drew near him, patting the sore spot with her wing.

"You just rest for awhile. I'll go get us some fruit. Give your wing time to heal. We'll go visit our children later this afternoon."

She planted a warm kiss on his beak and flew out of the hollow.

He stared at his limp wing and silently cursed at the unfair timing of his injury. He moved back over to the wall across from the exit hole and reclined against it.

Blu feared for her safety, knowing that she would make easy prey for a prowling snake or eagle. They had come to acknowledge the fact that every flight could be their last, due to predators or their ailing bodies giving out from the stress.

Blu would have gone instead, since he was always the one to provide for her, but his injury had left him grounded, and even more so, incredibly worried about her well-being.

"Please come back, Jewel. We need to cling to life, together, for just a few more hours. Then we can rest eternally..."

The flight across the clearing was a draining endeavor, and Jewel was forced to land just outside the border to recoup her strength.

"_I can't do...much more of these, _she told herself, _I may fly out one day and never fly back. I can't do that to Blu. If I'm going to die, I will do it by his side._"

After_ s_haking her head to mentally refocus, she walked slowly through the undergrowth. She kept her gaze split between the trees above and the ground ahead, knowing that she could easily be caught by a lurking python.

As she moved around the trunk of a cannonball tree, a welcome sight appeared in front of her. Lit by an errant ray of light that slammed past the canopy was a stubby, yet healthy, mango tree. The six tangerine fruits that it bore seemed to leap out at her due to the golden light from above.

"Would you look at that. Mangoes! I better-"

A loud flutter of wings stopped her cold as two Lear's Macaws burst through the greenery on her left, alighting happily in the crown of the tree.

"Just look at these tasty mangoes! The kids will love them, Ariel!"

"Let's take them all, Alex, dear. There should be enough for our whole family."

They began plucking the fruit relentlessly, and Jewel didn't want to lose her chance to gather some of them.

"Uh, excuse me. Could you leave two of those behind?"

The two macaws heard a clear voice from down below, a female voice. They leaned over, peering past the crown of the tree inquisitively. An innocent macaw was looking up at them, her tattered form morphing into quite a shock for the macaws perched above.

"Who are you?" queried the male.

"Why are you so beat-up and frail?" added the female.

"My name is Jewel. I am... a very old Spix's Macaw. I came looking for some food for my mate and I. Could you leave me two mangoes?"

The Lear's Macaws gazed at each other for several seconds, quite astounded by what they had seen and heard. Regardless, they did not want to be cruel to such a resolute bird as she.

The male replied, "No problem Jewel! We won't let you and your mate go hungry."

He gripped a mango in each talon and brought them down to her.

"Thank you. That was very kind of you to share."

Nodding politely, he replied, "You're welcome."

Ariel dropped down next to Alex, eager to find out a little more about the female before her.

"Forgive my rudeness," she began, "but, _how_ old are you?"

A gentle smile flashed across Jewel's face as she replied, "I don't mind. I am... forty-five years old."

The two macaws' eyes widened with her announcement.

"Really? _Meu Deus_! Alex and I are only seventeen. You must have more memories than you could ever count!"

"Yeah. I met my mate, Blu, when we were both fifteen. We are the last two Spix's Macaws alive, aside from our nine children. We've shared a long, fulfilling life."

She did not want to depress them by divulging her near-death secret, and so she held it inside her.

"Amazing. There's more to you than what meets the eye, Jewel."

"It seems that way, Ariel. Well, I better head back home. My mate is probably worried about me."

"Do you need help carrying those mangoes? They are pretty good-sized fruits."

"No thanks, Alex. I think I can do it. Nice meeting you both..."

After clutching one fruit in each of her talons, Jewel turned and rose into flight, Alex's words ringing true as she struggled to stay aloft with the added weight of the hefty mangoes.

Alex and Ariel watched the female fly slowly off into the distance, marveling at her age and personality.

"We have quite the story to tell Sarah and Jonas, don't we?"

Her eyes twinkling, she said merrily, "Yes we do, Alex. Let's go. They-"

Just then, they heard a soft crashing noise in the jungle ahead, followed by a cry fraught with frustration. "I bet that was Jewel." declared Ariel.

"Her age has probably sapped her strength, Ariel. I doubt she's able to carry those fruits anymore. Let's go help her..."

The young macaws flashed stern nods at each other, springing into flight moments later.

Jewel had only flown a quarter of the way back to her home before her wings grew fatigued. She fell to the ground in exhaustion, skidding along the damp earth on her chest and dropping the mangoes in the process.

Too drained to heave herself up, she rested her head against the ground, exclaiming, "They were right. I can't make it! I need help. Please, I'm so tired..."

Her distressed cry echoed out through the jungle, but no one responded.

She lay on the ground, her chest heaving, her weakened heart straining to pump her blood. From her bird-unfriendly vantage point, she was beginning to think that a snake would come crawling out of the bushes and snatch her up.

"_Am I going to die here, a victim of predation? Blu will never even see my body. No, no, no, I can't do that to him! Why has nobody heard me? I'll never get home without help..._"

A sense of despair crept into Jewel's feeble mind, leading her to think that all was lost. She tried to stand, but her legs were unable to lift her body weight, and so she plopped back onto the damp earth.

As if to answer her desperate pleas, a soft rustling caught her attention, resounding from somewhere behind her.

A flare of joy lit up her spirit as the macaws from before trotted up beside her, their faces twisted with worry.

"Jewel! Are you okay?" queried the male as he examined her from head to tail.

Barely shaking her head, she replied sadly, "Not really, Alex. I can't make it home. Those damn fruits are too heavy! I'm exhausted..."

"It's okay. We'll help you get home. Honey, can you carry Jewel? I'll carry the mangoes."

"Sure, Alex."

She skipped over to Jewel, helping the sprawled-out macaw to her feet while her mate walked away and clutched one of the orange blobs in his beak and the other in his left foot.

"Can you show us the way to your home?"

"Yeah. Thank you so much, Ariel You really shouldn't be doing this for me."

"Don't worry about it. It's the least we can do. Here we go!"

After going into a hover, she picked Jewel up with her talons, leaving Jewel suspended beneath her youthful body.

They peeled off through the undergrowth, moving faster than Jewel could have ever hoped to imitate. With Jewel's guidance, the two macaws found their way to the lone cannonball tree.

Jewel's energy had recovered slightly during the relaxing trip, a fact that improved her mood by the same amount.

Ariel entered first and freed the grateful female from her talon-grasp. Her mate followed just behind, placing the slightly bruised fruits down next to Jewel.

Another ragged macaw was present, rushing over to his mate and hugging her gently.

"I was so worried, honey! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Blu. I had to enlist a little help to get back here." she said, motioning to the Lear's Macaws.

"Oh, I can never thank you enough for helping her! As you can see, our age has left us looking... unattractive, and also unable to do many things."

"No problem, Blu. We could never just leave such a respectable and senior macaw behind like that." declared Alex smoothly.

"And there's no need to get even with us. We did this out of complete courtesy, and maybe a little fascination. Both of you are the most interesting birds we've seen in forever, really!" added Ariel.

"Oh. Well that sure sounds intriguing. If Jewel and I had the time, we could tell you a ton of stuff about us."

"Oh, we would love to stay and chat, but we have two chicks to take care of, and we kind of left them home alone to gather breakfast."

"Well, we won't keep you then. Thanks so much, you two!"

"And you are most welcome, Jewel." they replied in unison.

"We'll see you around, then. Bye!" they added, disturbing the air as they departed from the hollow.

"Such nice neighbors..." Blu said with melancholy, "how will they feel when they never see us again? What will they think when they find out... that we're... dead?"

Frowning with that revelation, Jewel sighed and replied, "There's nothing we can do, handsome. They barely even know us. And besides, who is going to tell them?"

"You do make good points. Still, I think it was better that we didn't tell them about... _that. _Now, how about we get a bite to eat?"

"I agree. My ordeal with the fruit has left me dead tired, so after I eat, I'm taking a nap."

"I think I'm going to take a little snooze as well."

Blu hobbled over to one of the mangoes, picking it up and holding it out towards Jewel. She promptly took it from his foot, nibbling a small bite from one end.

"Thanks, handsome."

"No problem, my angel..."

They carefully consumed the mangoes, somehow managing to cram one whole fruit apiece into their shriveled stomachs. With their insides churning and digesting the food, they slumped against the wall, side-by-side, for their midday nap.

After coughing roughly a few times, Blu declared, "We have to go see our children tonight, Jewel. I just hope that they will all be together. We can't be flying back and forth across the jungle."

"Yeah, me too. I can barely make it out of the clearing before I have to rest. Going to each of their homes is impossible." she stated pointedly.

"I know. Let's rest now, honey. We'll need all of the strength we can muster. Sleep well."

"You too. See you in a few hours..."

As the sound of their voices faded away, their eyes slid shut, cutting them off from the visual world. As the folds of sleep claimed them, the sound of their sallow breathing was all that could be heard.

Their dreams were nonexistent, and so their distressed bodies protested while they slept, rendering their rest period less than successful.

The hours passed like fitful minutes, a slight relief to the ailing macaws, who were eventually awoken by the breath of planet Earth.

A strong wind was whistling by outside, steadily rushing into the hollow and buffeting the horrid-looking birds nonstop.

"Well, I think it's time we get going, Blu."

"I agree, Jewel. We-"

Blu was cut off by a sharp burning sensation in his chest. He attempted to remedy it by holding his wings to the very spot where the pain was concentrated, but to no avail.

The fire eventually subsided, yet leaving him out of breath and in a coughing fit. As he greedily sucked in oxygen, in between his body-wracking splutters, Jewel scampered over to him, patting his back rapidly.

"What's going on, Blu? Are you alright?" she asked loudly.

"I think so," he wheezed, "it felt like I was having... a heart attack. We better hurry up, Jewel. I don't think... I'll live to see tomorrow. I can feel it... in my soul..."

As minuscule tears formed in his bloodshot eyes, he faced Jewel straight on, drawing her into the muddy pools of his irises.

"Before we go... I want you to know... that I love you. Whether in this life, or the next, I will never forget you, Jewel. You are my whole life, and just the same, I want nothing more than to perish by your side."

Jewel's own tear ducts opened as his words sank in, and after sniffling once, she responded, "And I love you just the same, Blu. I never imagined that I would meet someone like you. And yet, we've lived together for thirty years, created nine loving children, and seen Linda's family grow. I suppose the last step there is to take... is to die peacefully."

While hugging her as only a devoted lover could, he whispered, "We've had a good run, Jewel. We experienced everything we could have hoped to experience, and then some. It is true, our journey... is over, but the journeys of our children are still ongoing."

After a tearful pause, he added, "And that is why we must go see them now, while we still have the chance."

Jewel sniffled once more and nodded silently.

Blu broke away from her softly and threw himself into the night, slowly trekking away from their ancient abode.

In one quick movement, Jewel returned to the nest, snatching up her errant feather from the day before.

She clenched the tuft tightly in her right talon and set out after her mate, drawing up her last reserves of energy for what was most likely her final flight.

Thankfully, the wind was a tailwind, and their flight across the Sanctuary was rendered much easier. Their course was southwesterly, and the trek took all but ten minutes.

The home of their three oldest children was Blu and Jewel's destination, and before long, the trio of fairly adjacent trees drifted into view.

Suddenly, Blu dropped from the air and crashed into the ground, coming to a stop a few feet in front of the middle tree. Jewel spiraled down to him, her mind now panicked as to what had happened.

His eyes were half-closed, and she feared that he was losing his grip on life.

"Blu? Blu! Wake up! Don't die now!"

After a few frantic shoves, courtesy of Jewel, he awoke.

"_Meu Deus__!_ You're okay! Did you black out?"

"I guess so. It's just like what happened to you... yesterday. I'm so tired, Jewel. I want to rest..."

With hot denial in her voice, she replied, "No! We have to see our children first! Don't leave them with out saying goodbye."

Her powerful words forced Blu to rise to his feet.

"Okay, Jewel. I'll... do it."

Looking up, her heart plummeted, for she could not hear the pleasant chatter of her children.

"I don't think they're here. There's no way to find them. What are we going to do?"

Jewel began to sob feebly, but she did not mourn for long.

A flock of macaws streaked in on the tailwind and dispersed amongst the three nearby trees. The noise filtered its way down to them, seemingly unaffected by the steady wind flowing all around them.

"Jewel, our children just came in. We have to get up there."

Hearing his joyous proclamation, she lifted her head.

"Let's hurry, then..."

They managed to fly up to the middle tree, but no more. They landed heavily on the floor right in front of their twin daughters, who recoiled slightly.

"Mama! Papa! How are you? You look terrible!"

"We know, Carmen."

"I'm not Carmen, Mama. I'm Alexis! Carmen is right next to me. Why did you forget my name?"

"I... don't know. Forgive me. Go gather the rest of your siblings. Your father and I have something to tell you all..."

Without another word, Carmen and Alexis left the hollow and split apart, each heading for the adjacent trees.

Blu and Jewel had moved to the wall furthest from the entrance and reclined against it, a maneuver that once more sapped their strength.

Moments later, their children slowly filed in, the hollow becoming cramped with their bodies.

"Carmen and Alexis said there was something you needed to tell us. Is something wrong?" asked their youngest son.

"Yes, Michael. Your mother and I are... near the end of our ropes."

Nine pairs of eyes bored into Blu with puzzled looks.

"What your father means is that we are... old. Very old. We may not be around for much longer."

Shock now replaced the confusion on their faces, and the sensation could be felt lingering in the air.

"What! Does that mean you're going to...go bye-bye?" said a tiny female.

"I'm afraid so, Marissa."

With that, Blu and Jewel stood up and were promptly hugged by several of their children.

"I don't want you to go!" cried Samuel.

"I want to hear more bedtime stories, mother!" shouted Alyssa.

"Can't you stay with us forever?" pleaded Leslie.

The desire in their voices stabbed multiple daggers of loss into Blu and Jewel's hearts.

"We are sorry. We wish we could stay too. We don't know when we are going to pass away, but it won't be too much longer. We came to warn you all." said Jewel, her tone laden with sorrow.

"Jewel and I have been through a lot, _meus filhos. _Our lives have been rich and fulfilling. Every day, month, year that we have spent together is a memory in itself. On top of that, we couldn't have asked for more caring children than you."

Pleased with his attempt to bolster their spirits, she said, "Your father is exactly right. Everyone has to die sometime, but it is not something to fear."

"But I _am_ scared, Daddy..." declared Matthew.

Blu scooted closer to his son and said, "Don't be. With these, you'll have something to remember us by."

Blu reached up with his foot and yanked three feathers from his chest. He felt no pain, just another reminder that his life was drawing to a close.

He laid them out before him and said, "Keep one of these in each of these hollows. Even though I won't be with you as a whole, part of me always will."

"I will give you some of my feathers too."

Jewel plucked two wispy shapes from her chest as well, placing them next to the feather she had brought from her home.

Jewel declared, "We love you all more than words could ever say, and we are going to miss you dearly. Just know that each of you hold a special place in our hearts."

She felt her heart skip a beat, the internal shock causing her to fall back against the rear wall of the hollow. A collective gasp filled the space, and Blu made his way over to her side.

"Jewel? Are you okay?" Her yes wandering all over, as if she was confused, she replied, "I...don't think so. My heart. I can feel it weakening."

Realizing that her organs were giving out, he consoled her by saying, "Just relax, honey. It'll be over soon."

As he watched Jewel's chest struggle to rise, he felt an odd stillness inside him, and he couldn't stay up. He plopped against the wall next to his mate, his lungs trying to draw in air, just like her.

A shrill female voice asked, terrified, "What's happening to you and Daddy, Mommy?"

Scrounging up the energy to speak, Jewel replied, "We're... going away, Rosalie. Our bodies are broken..."

"Can I fix Daddy? Can I fix _you?_"

"No, daughter. We are beyond repair. Only death can mend us. Our spirits will be set free, and all will be well." was Jewel's defeated reply.

Soft streams of tears began to flow from some of the older macaws' eyes, and the nine offspring huddled together.

Blu and Jewel couldn't help but cry along with them.

In between deep sobs, Blu muttered, "We will see you all again someday, when it is your time to go. Be strong for us, but be stronger for each other. Promise... you'll do that."

They all whispered sullenly, "We promise, father."

"This is a depressing time, but you still have... the rest of your lives to enjoy. Don't waste it mourning." added Jewel.

Blu's breathing had begun to slow, as did his mate's, and they rotated their heads to look at each other.

"Linda once told me a poem, honey. She remembered it from when her grandmother died. It was recited at the funeral, and I decided... to keep it in my mind."

"Really? Can I... hear it?"

After drawing as much breath as he could muster, Blu whispered, "As I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die... before I wake, I pray the Lord... my soul to take..."

Blu could barely finish the sentence before another bout of coughing gripped him.

His body convulsed as staccato groans erupted from his beak. The cycling pressure spikes from the effort of his coughs burst the blood vessels in his eyes, and the leaking fluid drained from the only feasible outlet it could find.

His offspring watched, horrified, as scarlet trails bled from his tear ducts, running down the sides of his neck and forming tiny pools on the floor. After the deadly coughing ceased, his chest lay still after one last angry wheeze.

His feet and wings went limp, laying completely still after a few seconds of motion.

A few of the older offspring buried their faces in their wings, while others increased the rate of tear flow dramatically.

Jewel turned to face them and muttered, "Never forget him. And never forget me. Take care of each other. I... love you all... always..."

She let her head roll back to Blu's silent form and sighed deeply. Though she was traumatized by the vileness of his death throes, she no longer possessed the strength to express it.

He was finally at peace – the only respite that she could draw from the situation – and she was ready to join him.

"I'm coming, Blu. Wait... for me..."

Her heart gave one last feeble thump, and then no more followed.

She, a creature without a heartbeat, remained conscious for a a few more seconds, her eyes locked on her silent mate, and then she was gone.

The surviving creatures squeezed together in a desperate hug, buried by the sorrow of what they had just witnessed.

Even as they were torn up inside, they swore to never let the memories of their parents escape their minds. A small shred of hope lingered, for they knew that they would join their Mama and Papa one day, wherever they went...

* * *

><p>Blu felt an uplifting sensation as he left his abused biological form behind.<p>

He felt as light as a cloud, seeming to rise higher and higher as the seconds ticked by. It appeared as though he was rising out of his tree and rocketing into the atmosphere, going faster and faster.

Eventually, the world became a blur of color, not a single feature recognizable.

As his detached spirit flew on upwards, it came to an abrupt stop.

Blu found himself in a realm lit by a sensuous crescent moon, and out of curiosity, he looked down. Right before his eyes, an exact replica of his feet formed beneath him, seeming to fade out of the air and acquire visible form.

He waited for a brief amount of time before looking to his left, only to see part of his chest in the corner of his vision. He stretched out his left wing, and there it was, every feather present, every structure intact.

Stunned by this observation, he thought, "_I have a new body, just like the one I had down on Earth! Wait a minute, that can only mean I'm in Heaven! At least, I think I am. This place feels so... strange, and yet... so peaceful..._"

Detecting a strong urge to explore this new landscape, he took off from the cool ground, propelling himself higher until he reached a decent vantage point.

He brought himself into a hover and peered down, seeing a vast expanse of green – which he decided was a meadow – complete with a meandering river.

Off to his left was a vibrant jungle, and on his right lay a murky expanse of water, accompanied by what looked like a sandy beach. He spiraled down to the sand, loving the feel of it as the grains slid past his feet.

Silently, he mused, "_So, this is Heaven. No golden gates or peaceful music. Just the sound of the ocean brushing the shore, the wind rustling the trees. It's not half bad, even though I expected more. Oh, how rude of me! Don't talk like that, Blu! Be grateful of where you are._"

Curiosity still roiling inside him, he opted to head towards the jungle, since he felt more at home there than out in the open.

True, he had still maintained his body, but it was like it had no weight. He was also partially translucent, suspended halfway between an illusion and reality.

He alighted on a palm tree, preened his feathers, and gazed around. Suddenly, he felt very alone, realizing that something, or someone, was missing.

"_Shouldn't there be another bird here? That bird is... Jewel! Where is Jewel? Why can't I find her?_" he asked himself silently.

Blu left the tree and scoured the vicinity, his gaze darting every possible direction. After spending an unquantifiable amount of time flying around, he perched on a suspended vine, now filled with longing.

Displeased with his empty search and craving the presence of his lovebird, he cried out, "Jewel! Where are you? I need to be with you! Are you out there?"

The playing of the wind with the branches caused moonbeams to dance around the jungle, an eerie yet soothing display.

Out of one of the silvery flashes, a figure emerged.

It melted from the light and flew towards him, its features instantly recognized by Blu's divine mind.

"Jewel! It's you! You made it! I missed you so much, even though we weren't apart for too long."

Her earthly beauty was impressive enough, but this, this was mind-numbing. She alighted down next to him, a new-found twinkle in her healthy aquamarine eyes.

"Of course it's me! I missed you too. I think you deserve one of these."

She leaned over and burned Blu's cheek with a sweet kiss.

"Thank you, honey."

"You're welcome," she said sweetly before adding, "isn't this place...wonderful, Blu?"

"Wonderful, no. Unbelievably wonderful, yes. Part of it is because you're by my side."

Touched by his sincerity, she chuckled, "How sweet, Blu! No wonder I love you. Always so expressive, so charming, so _you._"

"Not the first time I've heard you say that, my love..."

The two ghostly macaws fell silent, but remained on the branch, taking in the sights and sounds of their new residence.

The female broke the silence as the wind increased its intensity.

"I wonder how our babies are doing? They must be torn up back on Earth."

"Without a doubt, Jewel, but they'll pull through. They had good parents to help them grow."

"Hmmph. You're right. I wish we could speak to them, touch them, soothe them..."

"Wouldn't hurt to try. See if you can use your spirit to send a message."

Both Blu and Jewel closed their eyes and cast their assurances out into the night.

If the spirits off their offspring could somehow reply, they would wait patiently for those replies to arrive. If not, at least Blu and Jewel knew that their calming wishes had reached them.

Jewel dropped from the vine – which was oddly undisturbed by her maneuver – and initiated a glide towards the boundary of the jungle with the meadow.

"Where are you going?"

"To the beach. I want to hear the sound of the water against the sand. It is a reminder of our home."

"Oh. Care if I join you?"

"Not a very wise question, handsome. Come on!"

Down on the lane of silky sand, Blu and Jewel let the gentle surf roll over their feet, reveling in the feel of the warm water. "Who knew Heaven could be so... carefree, so melancholy..."

Jewel could tell that what Blu had said was phrased as a statement, not a question.

"Well, it has to be attractive, Blu. We'll be spending forever here. I wonder if it ever changes. You know, like the seasons."

"There's plenty of time to find out, gorgeous."

Jewel scooted up alongside him, pulling him close with her right wing.

"Being as we're in Heaven, I would rather you call me 'angel.' How does that sound?"

"A fair request, my angel."

"Ahh. Thanks for that. I love you, Blu. On Earth, as in Heaven. Forever."

Another kiss concluded her speech, leaving Blu stunned like so many times before.

His spirit swept up in the rush of glory from the kiss, he uttered one last powerful word: "Forever..."

The two macaws then trotted back and nestled down onto the sand, out of reach of the tepid waves.

Wrapped in each others wings, they sat in content silence under the smile of the moon.

However long it would take for their babies to arrive, they would wait it out.

Whether time passed in this brave new world or not was something to be contemplated. Until then, they would have each other, and each other was all that Blu and Jewel needed.


	3. Hollow Beings

**Chapter 3:Hollow Beings**

A thick silence suffocated the macaw-filled hollow, with none of the birds able to move, as if frozen in place. After some time, tiny Rosalie pulled away from her siblings, waddling over to her mother slowly, hesitantly.

After planting herself next to Jewel's right wing, she looked up at her mother's face and asked meekly, "Mommy? Hello? Will you wake up?"

Rosalie's siblings watched in absolute despair as she lifted her stubby wing and tapped Jewel's stomach over and over. Seeing that no hint of a response came from the still form, Rosalie began nudging Jewel's wing with her head.

After a few repetitions of this, she looked back up at her mother's face, which began to blur from the veil of tears that covered her eyes.

"M-Mommy? Please w-wake up. P-please?"

The bewildered and sobbing Rosalie began tugging on Jewel's wing with all the force her diminutive body could muster, which only resulted in Jewel's body shaking slightly, despite her best efforts.

The world came crashing down on the little chick as she realized her mother would never react. Her sobs escalated into full-on cries of agony, which she muffled slightly by burying her face in Jewel's still-warm belly feathers.

"No! D-don't leave me, Mommy! I n-need you! Don't g-go away..."

The sound of her pleading phrases was pure torture to her brothers and sisters, a din that hammered home the sorrow and crushing loss of their parents' death even more.

With the tears flowing from her eyes as well, the mature Alexis hobbled forward and pulled her sister away from the still body of Jewel, stirring the loose feathers Blu and Jewel had placed on the floor before their departure.

Not wanting to lose the last keepsakes of her parents, she reached out with one foot and gathered them up, squeezing all six of them firmly in her foot.

"I am so sorry, sister... but Mommy is... gone..."

Alexis quickly pulled Rosalie against her chest, for the latter let loose a near-deafening wail.

As the macaws looked upon the bodies of their parents, the initial denial they had felt minutes before now morphed into pure despair. They realized that Blu and Jewel would never move again, speak again, breath again. Their lives were over, and would remain that way forever.

None of the macaws knew what to do, except sob and hug each other. The older birds gripped the younger ones tightly, doing their best to console them.

The youngest chicks could barely understand why their parents weren't moving, and thus the only remedy they could think of was to sob uncontrollably.

They had not yet learned the concept of "death" but seeing that their Mommy and Daddy were "gone" was a much simpler concept to grasp.

The gut-wrenching cries Blu and Jewel's children let loose filtered out of the hollow and flooded the general area, a constant noise that drowned out even the wind.

The wailing would have undoubtedly woken any nearby creatures that happened to live near its culprits, but the trio of trees were stationed in a relatively secluded chunk of the jungle.

Nearly five full minutes after Blu and Jewel's passing, one of their children broke away from his siblings, intent on paying a last tribute to his creators.

"W-what are you doing, Matthew?"

Without turning around, he sniffled and replied, "Saying g-goodbye to Mom a-and Dad, Carmen..."

After taking a few more tentative steps, he pressed himself up against his mother's cold body and whispered, "Goodbye, Mom. I love you... and I'll miss you..."

He nuzzled his salt-stained face into her neck – albeit very gently, so as not to disturb her – before moving on to his father. He gave the chilled body a tender hug, whispering, "I'll miss you too, Dad. I'll always... love you..."

He felt a slight release as he concluded paying his homage, knowing that he helped ease the spirits of his parents, wherever they had gone, however far away they were.

That release flared dimly in his soul, but did not last long against his collapsed internal state.

Feeling that his duty had been done, he stepped away from his parents and rejoined his siblings.

Drawing some confidence from his act, Carmen broke away from the small crowd. After creeping over to the pair of silent macaws, she imitated her brother, leaving another stain of liquid on their feathers.

One by one, the rest of the spiritually and emotionally shredded birds made their rounds, embracing their dead creators and muttering powerful words of remembrance into their deaf ears.

The ritual lasted nearly ten minutes, with Michael being the last to pay homage.

Moods were no better in the hollow in the wake of their performance, as that was not the only matter concerning the dead macaws that needed to be addressed.

Languidly, Carmen chose a spot in front of her siblings, waving her wings with meager effort. The motion garnered the attention of the others, at which point she folded her flying appendages against her sides.

"Look," she moaned, "we can't... leave them here. We need to tell... Linda and Tulio. They'll know... how to handle their bodies."

Without voicing their replies, a few of her siblings nodded, if lifeless shells of her parents, and then faced her siblings and said, "I don't know about you guys... but I can't bring myself to carry them... to the sanctuary building."

Without another word, she launched herself into the velvety night sky, forcing her wings to keep beating under the gravity of the recent events.

A small cloud of macaws followed in her wake, the chicks being guided by their older brothers and sisters.

Alexis brought up the rear of the formation, for she had stowed her parents' feathers deep in the nest before her departure, wispy relics of the two birds she had loved most in her entire life...

The flight from the site of their parents' final moments to the sanctuary was prolonged, for none of the macaws felt truly ready to announce the grim news to the humans. When they finally filed in through the slot in the door and clustered themselves just inside, masks of heavy sadness were apparent on their faces.

When they realized no other souls were present in the room, some of the older macaws issued a series of hoarse squawks and chirps. The desperate noises echoed throughout the room, causing Linda and Tulio to shuffle from their bedrooms, still half-asleep.

Once the macaws had Linda and Tulio's undivided attention, they re-enacted the grisly scene from earlier, with Alexis and Matthew playing the parts of their creators.

Seeming to understand the charades they played, Linda and Tulio hastily urged them to lead them to the site, without even bothering to change out of their pajamas.

The array of macaws slipped through the now-open door, taking to the sky and flying at a steady pace so that the trailing humans could keep sight of them.

The macaws knew that the grief in their spirits would be conveyed to the terrorized humans, a fact that all of them found nearly impossible to stomach.

Drearily, the flock of birds guided the humans down an unseen trail, ending up at the tainted hollow in under ten minutes.

Fearing the worst, Tulio had brought along a pair of white lab towels, along with a step stool to reach the elevated opening of the hollow. The nine macaws poised themselves on the ground next to the base of the tree, motioning with their wings toward the shadowy hole in the trunk.

Tulio rooted the stool firmly, making sure it was stable before climbing to its highest step. He was roughly above eye level with the hollow, yet still able to reach in with his hands and feel around.

The moment his smooth appendages brushed over a chilled, plush body, his heart plummeted to his feet.

Barely managing to keep his eyes open, he scooped up the pile of feathers and brought it out into the moonlight, stepping back down the stool carefully.

The wash of silver light from the orb above rained down on the form in Tulio's hands, yet the figure never twitched. Tulio's expression cracked as his eyes fell upon Jewel, limp and lifeless.

Linda's eyes were the next to roam over Jewel's body, still failing to detect signs of movement. She sluggishly stepped forward and placed her hand on Jewel's chest, feeling no heartbeat or the gentle rhythm of her breathing.

"Tulio," she moaned, "she's... she's..." the words never made it past her lips.

"She's no longer with us, Linda," replied Tulio. "I am so sorry. She was a beautiful bird..."

He gently pulled the towel from his left arm and draped it over Jewel before ascending the stool one more time.

When he emerged, a male being was clutched in his right hand, no more responsive than the female.

Linda's reaction to seeing Jewel no longer living was strong, but upon seeing Blu, an explosion of tears soaked her face.

Reaching out, she slid Blu from Tulio's hands, cradling him like a mother with her newborn child.

"Oh Blu, why did you have to leave me? How will I... go on without you? How can I live, knowing that you're... you're... dead?"

Still wailing, she ran her fingers down his slender neck, brushing off some of the blood that had drained from his eyes. Linda then squeezed him up against her chest, hoping that he would spring back to life – yet certain that he would not.

She knew without a doubt that he and Jewel would never stir, trapped in eternal slumber, the slumber of death. The sense of denial over his and Jewel's demise had long since faded away, for the evidence that they were gone lay swathed in her and Tulio's hands.

Holding him a few inches from her face, she stared at his closed eyes and said, "I'll miss you... Blu. I wish I could... revive you and Jewel, but I can't. I just hope that you and her are happy... wherever you both are. I'll always... love Jewel, and I'll always... love you. I helped you grow from a tiny chick into a healthy adult. I watched you find a mate and raise a family... I watched you do everything you wanted to. Once again, I love you, my big brave boy..."

Unable to bear the feel of his icy skin in her hands any longer, she held him out towards her husband, who deftly wrapped the male in a stark white towel and removed him from Linda's grasp.

The cloth perfectly hid his tattered, aged body, but seeing his outline molded against the cloth, along with his frayed tail hanging out of one end, sent another arrow of piercing emotional agony through her heart.

Tulio's weak voice said, "I am so sorry, Linda. They were the most loving birds I've ever known, but they were so old. This would have happened one day or another. The only thing we can do now is figure out... how to honor them."

She threw herself against him in the wake of his convicting words, sobbing into his shoulder.

"I know, Tulio, but I'll never see them living and breathing ever again. I'll never get to feel their love for me..."

"That's why we have to... give them a final act of farewell, so that their souls can rest peacefully. That is how... they will know... that we truly loved them..."

"Okay," she mumbled, "let's go home now..."

Linda released him as he turned away from her, marching off disparagingly back the way he had came. Linda jogged to catch up, sobbing to herself as she trotted along behind him.

The macaws saw no need to fly due to the humans' preference of a snail-slow pace, and so they trudged along behind Linda, just out of reach of her sadness-weighted feet.

Tulio led the procession back towards the sanctuary with Jewel's concealed shell in his left hand and Blu's obscured body in his right.

As he walked, a brisk breeze swept through the jungle, as if the rainforest was sighing to mark the passage of the once-noble birds who called its lush confines home. That very breeze dislodged a curved feather from each of their tails, which were then lifted up and up on a never-ending journey into the velvet sky.

Their fine surfaces glowed in the moonlight as they rose ever-higher, soon fading out of sight as the dome of stars swallowed them up...

* * *

><p>Upon this arrival at the ivory structure, Tulio led his wife and the flock of birds into the sheltered aviary, the very first place Blu and Jewel met.<p>

With the lights dimmed and a rainforest ambiance track playing in the background, Blu and Jewel were tucked away in a tree hollow and given a few parting words.

Tulio and Linda spoke first, yet their speeches were ironically short, due to the agony they felt in their souls.

Though vastly less important than the fact that the ancient macaws were now deceased was the fact that they were no longer able to repopulate the species. Their surviving children would only be able to find other species to reproduce with, and eventually, their species would hybridize out of existence.

With Blu and Jewel's passing, the fate of the Spix's Macaw had been sealed.

It was only a matter of time before their children perished as well, and would only live on in textbooks and the IUCN's records.

Nonetheless, that fact was ignored, for the emotional and physical toll enacted upon the surviving creatures was fare more devastating and acute.

Once the husband and wife had cast out their heartfelt goodbyes, the traumatized macaws followed, entering the hollow one by one to inject their own final words of love and farewell to their deceased parents.

Once all was aid and done, the infinitely disheartened humans crawled from the room and headed off to bed, too weary and distraught to stay awake for much longer.

The avian party somberly remained in the aviary, finding whatever spots they could that were comfortable enough to allow sleep.

Both the humans and the macaws alike experienced some sort of crushing dream regarding the death of Blu and Jewel, but their interconnected dreams eventually morphed into something slightly more pleasing.

In death, Blu and Jewel had been freed from their spent bodies and given new lives in some other invisible plane, where they would remain forever.

Though their death was devastating to no end, they were finally separated from the weakness of earthly life, liberated, able to be in each others wings until time itself came to an end.

Though motionless collections of cells they were, devoid of spirit and energy, their legacy would live on, both in the hearts and minds of Tulio, Linda, and the nine thriving macaws.

They, two hollow beings, had once met under strange circumstances, escaped from the clutches of earthly evil, and at long last, forged a new beginning for themselves.

They had maintained a lovely existence, bringing forth nine offspring of their own, and at the same time, watching Linda's family grow along with them.

They had loved and been loved, and their existence was as cherished as any other.

They, two hollow beings, had given the world something to remember them by, a persistent memory that would be forever entrenched in the city of Rio...


End file.
